The Texas House of Representatives is expected to vote this morning on HB 670 — the Texas Free Flow of Information Act, which would provide protection to citizens who know of government or corporate wrongdoing but fear reprisal.
Commonly called a journalists’ shield law, 36 states and the District of Columbia already have similar laws in place to protect whistleblower sources who provide information to journalists on the condition of anonymity. The U.S. House on Tuesday also approved similar federal protections for journalists.
But it’s not just journalists or the whistleblowers who benefit through shield laws such as HB 670.
The legislation would ensure the free flow of this information to the public through the media, exposing abuse and malfeasance while protecting the public welfare.
Several years in the making, the Texas Free Flow of Information Act made it through the state Senate during the last legislative session before dying on a parliamentary point of order at the end of the session.
One of the main concerns raised about enacting a shield law in Texas is that it would impede the administration of justice by making it more difficult for prosecutors to gather evidence if journalists’ sources were kept confidential.
This time around, however, a compromise bill has been crafted through hours of discussions between members of the media and prosecutorial communities. In fact, the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee this past week unanimously approved the compromise language.
It also should be noted that none of the 36 states with shield laws has experienced undue burdens in the investigation and prosecution of crimes as a result of the laws.
The Texas Free Flow of Information Act strikes a fair balance between the public’s right to know and the effective administration of justice and law enforcement.
We encourage our local state representatives — Doug Miller, Edmund Kuempel and Patrick Rose — and the entire House to vote yes for HB 670. Its time has come.
